I had discovered Wilder Ways a few years back whilst exploring the idea of a riding holiday with my daughter to mark a special occasion. Though a keen rider in younger years, I hadn’t been on a horse for some time and my confidence levels had worn thin, whereas she had turned into the same horse obsessed dare devil I had once been. 

When I came across the Wilder Ways website with all the different adventures, pictures of past excursions and the herd and Nikki and Cara at the helm, I knew we had found our tribe and the place. Unfortunately the pandemic delayed things slightly due to fewer rides on offer, albeit Nikki was most accommodating in trying to squeeze us in, but we had our hearts set on Knoydart, so we waited.

Finally, in May 2022, we set off from London to Mallaig via Glasgow, an unforgettable journey in itself and a magical start to our adventure. When we got to Knoydart we first met our co-riders, whom we hit it off with straight away, sharing our thoughts on our expectations and fears, our riding histories etc. Our accommodation proved to be luxurious and comfortable: a generous and welcoming modern cottage with several bedrooms and en-suite facilities, as well as a big open living room/kitchen. All our breakfasts and most evening meals would be served there, just outside our room, looking out over the fields and into the hills. We couldn’t have wished for a nicer setting or more convenient set up. Other meals were also fab, either in a nearby restaurant or the local pub, watching the sun set on our last evening, complete with folk music from a very cool bunch of young musicians and a pool tournament.

From the moment we were joined by our riding hosts Nikki and Cara, we all knew we were in safe hands: Firm, but incredibly warm, passionate and with an irresistible sense of humour, they laid down ground rules, safety and etiquette around the horses. We were introduced to the herd and the horses that we would ride for the duration of our stay. Raven and Roxy became our best friends for the next few days.

Each day offered us a new type of different terrain to conquer, becoming more challenging as we progressed and with it came new things we had to learn. Nikki and Cara taught and kept reminding us how we could help the horses do their job and the importance of good horsemanship, but also the relevance of trusting in ourselves and our horse. Our ride around the peninsula took us through breathtakingly beautiful scenery from lush valleys, across beaches, hills and moors and culminated in a swim in the sea on horseback. We were always given the option to miss a canter if we did not feel like it, but there were also plenty of opportunities to really go for it. I was amazed to discover how agile my sturdy cob proved to be, climbing and traversing uneven ground. We would stop for lunch and untack, allowing the horses and ourselves a well deserved break.

I think the idea of letting go of fear and allowing ourselves to surrender to the experience meant a lot to some of us and it felt great to have the collective experience of the results with such a lovely group of women. In the evenings we shared stories of the day, of life back home, as well as how to soothe sore legs and sunburnt noses and before we knew it, we were a team.
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We both came home happy, windswept, feeling strong and a bit more brave and I really hope we get to go back at some point soon. Thank you Wilder Ways!

Cosima Shaw
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​I have been on plenty of holidays with Wilder Ways over the past few years. Although every holiday is different, I always know what to expect when I book. Great company, great food and great adventure!

​Back in March I was invited to come and work alongside Cara, Nikki and a few other volunteers to trial their new working holiday packages. This is to help get the herd back into the swing of things after some well-deserved time off throughout the winter. A working holiday is something I had never experienced before, but I knew I could not pass up the opportunity to visit my favourite place once again.

“Riding Schools at Risk”.   The article reports that a massive 15% of riding schools have closed since 2018, equating to 1.5 million less lessons available per year!  The reasons given were: 

• excessively long waiting lists putting off new entrants  
• difficulties attracting and retaining staff, particularly due to shortages in opportunities for training and qualifications.   

I completely agree with the BHS reasons.  Even in our back-water of Southend, Argyll, we have a waiting list for lessons.  We also suffer staff challenges.  There is nowhere in Argyll where youngsters can train for a career in horses.  This limits the opportunities for local youngsters, but also seriously hampers the ability of horse-riding businesses to prosper here.  As a result, many have closed and the running costs for the rest of us have become disproportionately high.  ​

Historically, many grass roots riding schools survived on ‘child labour’ (we’ve all been that girl mucking out 20 stables for a free half hour ride); a ‘Heath Robinson’ approach to their facilities; and, shall we say, an ‘economical’ approach to horse welfare. Whilst this set up taught me a huge amount as a child, changes in legislation and customer expectation have forced riding schools to up their game. This change is something that I whole heartedly applaud and I believe our industry, individual businesses, horses and riders are all the better for this. HOWEVER, this change comes at significant cost and this is the part that folks have not caught up with.

As a youngster my lessons costs £20/hr. 30 years later I find myself still having to justify to people why we need to charge £35, whilst the same people will happily pay twice that to sit on a quad bike which has no operating costs at rest. This is madness.

The math simply doesn’t add up anymore, and, in my opinion, this is why equestrian businesses are closing.

The general public agree horse welfare should be a priority. Society also believes in fair working terms and opportunities for staff. These are now mainstream and imposed by law. Consumers want high quality, meaningful experiences – this is self-policed via reputation, these days ‘governed’ by TripAdvisor. So, if everyone is getting what they want, horses, consumers, staff, where is the problem – ah yes, the business owners and operators. From experience I can promise you, it is IMPOSSIBLE to deliver all of the above on a business model where £35/hour is still considered appropriate. The market MUST catch up if riding hubs are to continue to survive, never mind thrive.

Last weekend, Nikki, Hilary & Christina took to the streets to try and recruit Climate Voters for Greenpeace's 'Project Climate Vote'. We've printed the full article below!

Greenpeace volunteers have taken to Campbeltown’s streets as part of a national door-knocking campaign to recruit ‘climate voters’.
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Volunteers from the Kintyre Greenpeace group knocked on doors in the Ralston Road area last Saturday morning, talking to residents about the climate crisis and urging them to vote with climate and nature in mind at the next general election.

Project Climate Vote, Greenpeace’s nationwide mass door-knocking programme, is aiming to recruit one million ‘climate voters’ ahead of the next election to force UK political parties to strengthen their plans to tackle the climate, nature and cost of living crises now, at the election and in years to come.

Nikki Gelati from the Kintyre Greenpeace group said: “Most people in Campbeltown and across the country are concerned about the climate and nature crisis and want more government action on it, but politicians often ignore them.

“We want to change that by working together to make sure all political parties hear this message loud and clear. With an election on the horizon, this is the best shot we have to make sure our government is up to the job of tackling these issues – we must make our voices heard.

“Solutions like affordable renewables, home insulation and clean transport are already here, they’re popular, affordable and bring plenty of other benefits – what’s missing are political leaders willing to unleash them.
“So if, like most people, you want stronger, faster action on climate, now is the time to say that as loudly as you can and become a climate voter.”

Greenpeace UK is mobilising its entire volunteer network on Project Climate Vote. The door-knocking campaign will see thousands of people holding conversations about climate on the doorstep, over the phone and on social media, with a focus on dozens of key marginal seats, from now until the election.

People will be encouraged to register to vote ahead of the election and to hold the government to account afterwards.

More than 100,000 people, including celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Olivia Colman, Mel B, Will Poulter and Joe Lycett, have signed an open letter addressed to all political leaders demanding stronger action on climate, stating that “we will judge you at the next election”.

More than 3,000 volunteers signed up to take part in a launch call with writer and campaigner George Monbiot earlier in the year, and hundreds of events across the country have kickstarted a huge wave of climate conversations.

‘Climate voters’ will do everything they can to make climate and nature count in the national debate and will vote with these issues in mind.

In its manifesto, Greenpeace is calling for the next government to prioritise:

• Fixing energy-wasting homes, unlocking affordable renewables and making public transport cheaper for everyone;
• Boosting the economy, creating thousands of jobs and supporting communities dealing with climate impacts by channelling investment into green industries and taxing the biggest polluters more;
• Protect nature at home and abroad from sewage and plastic pollution, destructive fishing and industrial agriculture.

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Campbeltown Courier Nov 2023

You can read more about Greenpeace's Project Climate Vote here - ​Project Climate Vote | Greenpeace UK

We are so chuffed to have received the Judges Commendation at the HITA Thistle Awards for Best Outdoor Adventure 2023! A massive thank you to all our amazing team, collaborators and customers who joined us on the night to celebrate with us. You can read the full article in the Campbeltown Courier here - High commendation for Kintyre horse-riding business - Campbeltown Courier

We are so honoured to be shortlisted for Best Outdoor and Adventure Experience and can't wait to attend the awards ceremony in November.
Read more here - ​Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards 2023 - shortlist announced! (ross-shirejournal.co.uk)

Podcasts are more than just background sounds. They are an excellent medium in which you can feel involved, inspired, and entertained.  We were delighted to be invited to contribute to the Beyond Borders series.

So just put in your headphones and listen to the latest episode of DIVA Debrief podcast - the whole thing is a great listen but if you are short of time, we start at minute 13!

We are thrilled to be featured in the latest issue of HIE magazine. Click on the link below to hear our start up journey. This issue also touches on Cara's relationship with W-Power and how they have spearheaded the women entrepreneur community in Argyll. 

HIE Magazine Issue 7